Also note that the Panama Canal system is set to expand by 2015, and that US East-coast ports are already expanding their cargo capacity in expectation of more & bigger container ships, routing Pacific->Panama->East rather than Pacific->West->rail->East.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal#Third_set_of_lock...

http://www.siteselection.com/issues/2011/nov/eastern-seaboar...